I felt I wanted to define for myself the organic phenomena; what nature itself would suggest to me in sculpture. — Lynda Benglis

A milestone commission for the Museum, Lynda Benglis’s For Carl Andre—a black, oozing mass from the artist’s famous series of poured sculpture—is visually one of the most peculiar pieces in the permanent collection. Understanding the complex piece requires thinking back to the ideologies and art movements surrounding its creation. When For Carl Andre was commissioned in 1970, Abstract...